This Sunday, All Elite Wrestling will descend on London, England and historic Wembley Stadium for the All-In Pay-Per-View. It is dubbed as "The Biggest Wrestling Event In History." The event has shattered attendance records and will be the most talked about PPV in 2023 and possibility, of all-time. If there is one thing standing in their way, it is probably a show that is below expectations. There is a lot riding on this. Here's why.
THE TWO MAIN EVENTERS NEED THIS
MJF has been the AEW Champion for a while now and has been a critical piece to the growth of AEW. Adam Cole has been an indie darling for many years. He had his run in NXT and almost had to retire from in-ring competition. Both men have an opportunity to shut up the naysayers and ascend themselves out of the "indie" label and be foundational pieces of a major wrestling company. Their slot in the main event of "the biggest event in wrestling history" will make sure of that.
CM PUNK NEEDS THIS
Almost a calendar year later, after the infamous scrum where he debased the company in front of the owner and media, CM Punk needed a do-over. He was brought back by Tony Khan with a lot of criticism and he, once again, caused controversy. Punk's match against Samoa Joe at All-In could show everyone that he is the big-ticket attraction that TK and the wrestling world envisioned when he returned in 2021. Hopefully, he can turn down the controversy.
THE WOMEN'S DIVISION NEEDS THIS
This division has been under scrutiny for in-fighting and not being booked properly. Looking at you, Tony Khan. This four-way match with the best that AEW can offer in the women's division can start a revolution that could continue throughout the future. It can also be a platform to show that the ladies of AEW can compete in great matches as the WWE women.
CHRIS JERICHO NEEDS THIS
I have been critical of Chris Jericho and his run recently. He is the foundation to where AEW started and is right now. He is clearly slowing down due to age and needs one last great encounter to hang his hat on. Will Ospreay can give Jericho that last great match for him.
ROH NEEDS THIS
Tony Khan bought ROH in hopes to resuscitate the once-great indie promotion. Having wrestlers as Samoa Joe and Claudio Castagnoli in the PPV gives the promotion exposure that they never saw before. They could also break out of the "indie" label.
THE MIDCARD NEEDS THIS
AEW has a lot of great talent in the mid-card. Eddie Kingston, Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy, Sammy Guevara and Jack Perry are going to be big players for the company in their future. Despite Perry or Guevara not on the card as writing is being finished (Card is scheduled to change), this mid-card can show the world that they are willing to give the fans a great performance to propel them into conversation for future main-event spots.
THE EVP's NEED THIS
After being the recipient of CM Punk's venom at the infamous Brawl-Out scrum, the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega needed to shape up. They have been able to stay away from trouble and now, this event is their time to shine. The Bucks are against FTR for the tag team titles. (Hopefully, Cash Wheeler can make it. SMH) This is going to help them because all three can deliver a great match for a huge crowd and can lift the burden of being a malcontent into being the EVP's of the greatest event in wrestling history.
TONY KHAN NEEDS THIS
It was obvious that he was focused on this event than what was going on with the company's riff-raff, but I get it. Tony Khan wants his company to be a dominant force in the industry. He was able to sell a record number of tickets and sell out a historical site like Wembley. TK is a wrestling fan at heart, and I love that about him. As much as people have become critical of how he has handled his company, including me, Tony Khan shows that he cares. This event could push him as the most dominating promoter in the industry.
And finally, AEW NEEDS THIS
In 2019, they were an upstart promotion backed by a billionaire who wanted to stand face-to-face with the large company up north. Four years later, AEW is the most-talked about promotion in the industry. The All-In Pay-Per-View will be the golden ticket that this upstart promotion needs to surpass the big company in the Northeast.
Sunday will be a special day for not just AEW, but for wrestling fans in general. It will hopefully unite the wrestling world with hope for a better future.
It's your time to shine, AEW. Go get em.
(Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, I won't be able to watch the pay-per-view on Sunday and do a review on it. Hopefully, I will watch the replay at a later date.)
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